Career Center

Duke University Hospital is consistently rated as one of the best in the United States and is known around the world for its outstanding care and groundbreaking research.

Duke University Hospital has 1,048 licensed inpatient beds and offers comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center; a major surgery suite containing 65 operating rooms; an endo-surgery center; a separate hospital outpatient surgical department with nine operating rooms and an extensive diagnostic and interventional radiology area.

For 2021-2022, U.S. News and World Report ranked Duke University Hospital nationally in 11 adult specialties: cancer, cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, ear, nose & throat, gastroenterology & GI surgery, gynecology, neurology & neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pulmonology & lung surgery, and urology.

Duke University Hospital is also ranked first in North Carolina and first in the Raleigh-Durham area.

In addition to its hospitals, Duke Health has an extensive, geographically dispersed network of outpatient facilities that include primary care offices, urgent care centers, multi-specialty clinics and outpatient surgery centers.

Location:

Duke Hospital (In-patient Duke Hospital) Durham, North Carolina

Department of Pediatrics 

General Description of the Job Class

Provide a variety of interventions for pediatric patients and families to promote coping skills, emotional health, and optimal development in the hospital setting.

Duties and Responsibilities of this Level

• Assess the emotional and medical needs of assigned patients and families to determine the support needed during the medical experience. Formulate a plan of interaction based on the assessment of patient and family and present plan to team members at psychosocial rounds and team meetings. Document all interactions in medical record charts. Provide play/recreational activities for assigned patients consistent with developmental needs in order to normalize the environment and facilitate assessments.

• Utilize developmentally-appropriate methods for preparing children and families for diagnostic, treatment, and surgical procedures to optimize patients' understanding of their experience as well as their coping.

• Participate in activities to support family-centered and comprehensive care. Maintain ongoing communication with physicians, nurses, unit and clinical staff in order to ensure a coordinated approach to patient care. Address and attempt to limit the disruptive effects of illness, clinic visits, and hospitalization.

• Provide in-service training to students, other staff, and professional groups in order to improve the practice of family-centered, developmentally-appropriate, and psychosocially-sound health care.

• Participate in programs for professional training and development; in order to enhance job performance. Perform other administrative and related duties incidental to the work described herein.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Interviewing Skills Work independently with minimal supervision Strong interpersonal skills

Level Characteristics

Ability to work independently and proactively Team-oriented and flexible attitude Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Child Life, Counseling, Special Education, Recreation Therapy or directly related field. Due to professional exemption, equivalent experience cannot be substituted for a bachelor's degree.

Experience

One year of experience working with hospitalized children or in an educational training program working with children preferred.

Additional Manager Preferences:

• Completed an internship with a certified Child Life Specialist
• Graduated with a bachelor's degree in: Child Development, Family Studies, Healthcare Consumer Sciences, or another related field of study
• Obtain a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) within 6 months of hire.

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

A certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is required within 6 months of hire.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Interviewing Skills

Work independently with minimal supervision

Strong interpersonal skills

Distinguishing Characteristics of this Level

Ability to work independently and proactively

Team-oriented and flexible attitude

Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

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About Duke University Health System

As a world-class academic and health care system, Duke Health strives to transform medicine and health locally and globally through innovative scientific research, rapid translation of breakthrough discoveries, educating future clinical and scientific leaders, advocating and practicing evidence-based medicine to improve community health, and leading efforts to eliminate health inequalities.

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